Copyright @ 2009 Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems All rights reserved.

Open Full Contents

Surface Treatment of Carbon Supports for PEM Fuel Cell Electrocatalyst

Pages: 201-204

Hiroshi Shioyama*, Atsushi Ueda, and Nobuhiro Kuriyama

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST),
Midorigaoka 1-8-31, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan

Received: June 28, 2007, Accepted: August 14, 2007

Abstract:
To lower Pt loadings for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), electrocatalytic activity per unit mass of Pt need to be improved. Catalytic activity on oxygen reduction reactions is higher in Pt particles loaded on mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) and glass-like carbon powder (GCP) than in Pt loaded on carbon black XC-72. The specific surface area of MCMB and GCP, however, is low and does not allow loading of the highly dispersed Pt particles necessary for PEMFC. In the present paper, we report that surface treatment of MCMB and GCP with fullerene overcomes this disadvantage to produce good electrocatalyst supports.

Keywords:
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), Electrocatalyst, Carbon support, Oxygen reduction reaction, Fullerene.